To find it impossible to declutter with 3 children in a two bed

[Littlebittiredoflife]

For the past two weeks we have been relentlessly decluttering, 12 bags have gone off to charity with another 12 in the bin/recycling. It still doesn't feel enough and with a 10, 8 and 6 year old living here I don't see how much more we could do. I keep reading decluttering is a key part to selling a home, especially if you can get rid of furniture but they'd be so sad to lose half their toys and we do all need clothes to wear. Please can anyone suggest what we can do to make an impact and keep up the motivation? I'm also aware the longer we take to do this the longer before we actually try to sell and it's getting to Summer which I imagine is a tricky time of year to sell with people going away.

OP loads of storage places will offer the first 8 weeks at half price so do some more digging - good luck

I think with 3 kids and 1 or 2 adults in a 2 bed house, you probably don't have as much stuff as many people.
So, people are talking about decluttering stuff when they already have the capacity to shove stuff in the loft and forget about it for 5 years. You've already (I assume) not got that in the house.
Getting rid of a couple of bags per person is a great start. If there is more, fabulous!

I used to fill the car and drive it round the corner for viewings.. So, the cat bed, the random stool we needed but didn't have a home, the pile of coats and shoes that were in regular use, but not at that moment.... all in the car!

Surely buyers aren't going to care about a few neatly stacked toys? I don't get the angst. Houses selling in all kinds of states. Often completely empty or full of a dead person's stuff. When I look at houses I am thinking about the wiring, plumbing, windows, size of rooms, layout, damp, age of bathroom and kitchen, size of garden, parking, if it needs redecorating or major maintenance. Whether the existing owner is tidy is very far down the list if I even care at all. As long as it's clean and doesn't smell, no one will care

I have been looking at rightmove for a few months as we are planning on moving. Overall people have houses that are very staged for photos and compared to when I last looked which was 25 years ago homes look less lived in. I think there is real pressure now. I can see past a house that looks a bit untidy or cluttered but if people can't visualise space they may discount a cluttered looking house so I can see why poster is feeling pressure and sounds like the estate agent is giving them a bit if a hard time. Good luck op it’s a hard time to sell as people are stressed and nervous about mortgage rates.

You’re going to have to cut costs elsewhere and rent storage if you’re not prepared to be more ruthless with your belongings. Most of the time kids don’t play with half their stuff and wouldn’t even notice if you got rid of half the stuff

To be honest there's not a lot going for our property other than size of some of the rooms and location so I think that's why I'm focusing on the tidiness as I don't want to highlight the lack of storage. I do need more motivation and encouragement so it's helpful to hear what others have done.

If you are actually trying to sell:

Rent storage

Get all the toys out and let each child keep one or two, put all the rest in storage

Clear everything else as if you were setting up for a home exchange - so if you think visitors might break it etc put it in storage.

Can you rent working space elsewhere?

It really does make a difference to how quickly you sell and how much for.

When you get the photos done get flowers in for the dining room table etc - but hanging baskets for the outside for kerb appeal etc

With a 2 bedroom house you are looking at buyers with no or one small child. Most buyers cannot see past furniture/storage etc.

A 20 minute drive to storage is nothing, you put the stuff in storage for a few months.
Once you move, you get it back.

It's not decluttering that you need, as probably you actually don't have that much stuff compared to other people because you physically fit much in.

What you need to think about is staging to sell your house.

So you need to try and get your house looking as good as it possibly can for probably a three week, month period until you get an offer.

Then you can bring stuff back in until you complete.

So just get as much as possible out of the place. Storage. In your car. A friend's loft etc.

But it's a temporary thing

Kids don’t need many toys or many clothes…I’m guessing you wash every day with 3 kids anyway

Basically think of being in holiday in your house for a month. So kids have one or two toys which take out the house at viewings etc.

Decluttering is for people who want to live in their house.

Not for selling

Agree it is about staging to sell.

My house looked completely different when we sold it - removed so much stuff for the photos and viewings.

Hello! I agree with some others that if you’ve got 3 kids in a 2 bed then it’s going to be really tough for you to be living all the time in a house that’s completely decluttered in that Instagram style!
From selling recently, I did put a lot of stuff in my car when the viewings happened (esp eyesores like pram/car seat). I think that was helpful even though it was a faff the night before viewings.
For photos - could you have a box ready that day to just throw in whatever day to day stuff is lying about on the sides and cart it around whilst the photographer moves through house?
Bit of a long shot but is there a neighbourhood WhatsApp or Facebook group. If it’s not valuable items perhaps you could put a call oyt for someone to store some stuff for you whilst you have photos and viewings? If I had a garage - I would respond positively to this if it had a time limit (say 2 months), and you could always find someone else or pay for storage if it’s still on market then.
as others have said it’s mainly the photos and viewings - once over that hump I let my place get toddler messy again!
good luck!

Talk to your agents. Are they marketing your home to the right buyers? People who expect a spartan showhome with no possessions don’t have young kids. People with young kids get it. If it’s not realistic or affordable to remove stuff then something else has to change

Our property isn't a house and wouldn't really attract people with children unless they were a family just trying to get on the housing ladder in a very expensive area for reasons like ours. I guess I'd been thinking if I was going to put something in storage for six months we should just be getting rid. I say six months because that's how long properties like ours are taking to sell where we are- that's if they even sell at all. We're hoping with a combination of decluttering and an attractive price ours will be the one that attracts a buyer over the others that have been lingering.

Are your kids still playing with the toys? If not then no point in keeping. Pay them to give them up and say they can buy something with it in the new home. You can try and sell through a boot fair, facebook marketplace etc. I used to sell everything on marketplace, but it wlhas been absolute rubbish last couple of times I tried. Google doorstep charity collections in your area to save having to go out. Don't keep old clothes that kids have grown out of, that you intend to fit back into one day etc.

Absolutely do get storage externally for things you will use again. Camping stuff, Christmas decorations "good" China etc. But don't put anything there just to hide it if you won't use again, or you will just make it a problem for when you move.

Good luck!

If you'd be happy to put stuff in storage for months just get rid of that stuff, you don't need it.

I'm ruthless though.

I don't think this is entirely fair, I have lots of stuff that I do need but only occasionally:

Christmas tree and decorations
Formal wear
Winter gear in the summer
Wellies/rain gear

OK I think that you need to be really ruthless.

Things only take six months to sell if they are priced wrong first.

Put everything in storage for a month, winter clothes etc, and be really really ruthless. Photos, toys, everything which says children

Make the flat look amazing, and desirable for a couple without children. Being utterly ruthless

And price sensibly

And there's much stuff that's seasonal so easy to temporarily get rid of. Or could just do without.

So most clothes.

Christmas decorations.
Art and sport supplies.

Most kitchen stuff

Etc

Ok even with toys you sell them on EBay or similar and buy back 2nd hand when you move. It will be more cost effective than storage if it's going to take 6 months plus to move.

With the DC you need them to choose what they keep. A big box each and state it needs to fit in their box.

I fear the bunk will give the game away re no children, but yes we will certainly put all photos and knick knacks away. Especially toys that are usually out all the time like the dolls house and baby buggy. Still another bag to charity today and another big bag for the bin. I'm starting to find it really hard to keep the motivation going.

Would it be cheaper to rent a garage vs storage for a couple of months?

Have you considered buying a panel van and filling that as a form of temporary storage and to cut the costs of eventual removals? You can sell again after

There aren't any garages available locally would again be a twenty minute drive and seem to cost around £120 a month so similar price to storage and not as well maintained/secure. I would be nervous about a van getting broken into, and they seem to cost around £1000 for a similar size to the storage plus tax and MOT as we have nowhere to keep it off-road. Definitely some creative ideas though. I think we'll have to go for the storage option and pack as much in as possible to make it worth it- once I've decluttered anything that I wouldn't want to move with anyway.